We recently launched our classic hot towel wet shave service and it was important to us that we created a luxurious and authentic old school experience.
Based on an authentic vintage service, this experience is true to the way wet shaves were performed from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries. It’s approximately 75 minutes of unashamed pampering encompassing pre-shave, shave and post-shave stages with two hot towels and various delicious lotions, potions and soothing techniques. The end result is skin softer than a baby’s derrierè and a feeling of utter relaxation.
Pogonotomy (derived from the ancient Greek 'pogon'meaning beard and the suffix 'tomie' meaning removal or section), or cutting one’s beard, is nothing new. Since the Stone Age men have attempted to remove their facial hair by various methods, including using clam shells to pluck hairs and flint blades for a rudimentary shave.
Alexander the Great stipulated that his soldiers should be clean shaven in battle to limit the possibility of opponents grabbing their beards to overpower them. Throughout the ages the fashions of facial hair have fluctuated along with men’s sartorial style and for a time men moved away from the art of the wet shave.
The resurgence of barbering sparked an inevitable interest in the stately practice of the gentlemanly wet shave. Men don’t always have, or feel comfortable about, the rituals of self care and legitimate self indulgence and having a leisurely hot towel shave is a way of treating oneself and finding a brief respite from the pressures of the everyday world.